Isle Of Wight Football Fan To Walk 100 Miles In Memory Of His Son

Friday, 20 May 2022 11:18

An Aston Villa fan - living on the Isle of Wight - is preparing to embark on a 100-mile charity walk in memory of his son.

Graham Holder, who lives in Cowes, will set off from Villa Park on Friday (27) to make the long, gruelling walk to Sheffield.

He's taking on the challenge with his friend, Pete Skinner, 64, who runs the Vectis Spurs supporters' group on the Island.

Graham, who has supported Villa his whole life, was there in Rotterdam when Villa won the European Cup in 1982 - with the 40th anniversary of the win happening this Thursday (26).

Their trek will see them leave Birmingham and journey through Lichfield, St George's Park - where they will meet representatives - Ashbourne and Bakewell, before finishing at Hillsborough in Sheffield.

The pair expect it to take around a week to complete, with the aim of walking around 15 miles a day.

Graham, 69, said:

"We really wanted to do something in memory of my son, Jack, who tragically took his own life.

"The reason we are finishing the walk at in Sheffield, is because that's the last time I saw Jack when we went there for a match together in February 2018. He died four months later, aged just 20.

"We have decided to do the walk to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Villa winning the European Cup.

"I must also say a big thank you to Arthur Dawes at Aston Villa, who has really helped us with the challenge.

"Anyone who wants to join us on the walk is more than welcome! We will be setting off from Villa Park at around 9am."

(Picture: Graham with his late son, Jack)

You can donate to the cause here - https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Walk4Jack

The money raised will go to the Aston Villa Foundation, which supports a number of mental health charities.

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Isle Of Wight Football Fan To Walk 100 Miles In Memory Of His Son

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